The Heiress and the Avatar
by Miss Faber
Summary: A series of Korrasami drabbles and one-shots. The first seven belong to Korrasami Week 2012. Prompts and requests will be taken on my tumblr, or through private messaging. Rating will be changed if smut is posted. Enjoy!


_A/N: _Korrasami galore! The first seven drabbles on here are prompted by Korrasami Week 2012. The rest are prompts I take from you- through private messaging or tumblr.

Enjoy!

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**Prompt: Nightmares**

Everything is oddly pretty; the chairs, the sofas, the delicate lace tablecloths, the exquisite chandelier, all imbued with a muted golden hue. The mansion walls look different; they're the soft beige they were before her father painted them over, and that can only mean one thing.

One downwards glance at herself confirms Asami's suspicion; she's nine years old, and this has to be a dream.

Somehow, she isn't comforted.

She moves forward; then frowns. Her limbs don't seem to want to cooperate with her; they move agonizingly slowly, as though wading through a substance more viscous than water.

"Father?"

She licks her lips; she shouldn't say it, she shouldn't, but she knows that she's in a dream and it can't possibly hurt if she indulges, just once, can it?

"M-mother?"

Asami holds her breath in her lungs, traps it there; and for a second, she doesn't dare to hope.

But then, there she she is, moving from the shadows into the light; a vision of beauty in red silk, ebony locks.

Asami stands still, shell-shocked for a solid minute; but this is a dream, her dream, and nothing can truly hurt her here.

She chooses to force that into the back of her mind.

Her mother extends her arms, mutely; Asami rushes into them, fearing her grin will split her face.

"Mama," Asami cries, the strong eighteen year old replaced by a girl reduced to a puddle of tears. "Oh, _Mama_."

"Shhh." Asami feels her mother's hand in her hair. "It's okay."

"I miss you," she sniffs, burrowing her head deeper into her mother. _She feels so solid_. "I... I miss you so much."

"I miss you too." Her mother's hand begins to stroke her hair, and the touch is soothing. "You're doing so well."

"I'm not," Asami says viciously. She turns her eyes up to her mother, wet and pleading. "I need you, back there. And father-"

She bites her lip, unable to continue.

"You're doing so well," her mother repeats, before pressing a kiss to Asami's forehead. She pulls away from her, leaving her daughter half crouched on the floor. "I'm proud of you."

"But-"

Her next words are cut off by a scream as fire springs from nowhere. Instinctively, Asami scurries backwards on all fours; but her mother is walking into the flame, and, despite the heat, Asami springs to her feet.

"Mother! _No_!"

But if there was an answer, Asami doesn't hear it; it is swallowed by the flame, along with the red silk, the ebony locks, the green eyes.

High-pitched, frantic screams fill the air, and it's a moment before she realizes that they're coming from her own throat.

"Asami?"

A voice rings in her ears; a voice she knows well.

"Asami! Asami, wake up!"

Her cheek stings; Asami lifts a hand to her face, confused, before noticing dimly that her arms have grown, her fingers are longer, her nails tapered.

Korra's face swims before her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Korra's lips move at the same time the words ring in her ears; Asami blinks, and with a lurch, the room comes into focus.

"I had to slap you." An undertone of panic is evident in Korra's voice. "You... you were screaming."

"Sorry," Asami offers weakly, and finds her throat is hoarse.

"Oh, Asami." Korra's arms circle her middle, and her warm weight is a comfort against her back. "I.. I really am sorry. I don't know how to react to this.. how to help. You're way better at it than me."

Asami's too tired to formulate a response, but she grips Korra's hand in hers.

"What was it?" Korra's tentative question drifts to her. "What did you dream?"

"My mother." Asami's voice cracks. "I saw her die."

She feels Korra's face burrows into the back of her neck. No words are needed.

"Sleep," Korra says eventually, her own voice tinged by it. "I'll protect you."

Eventually, Asami relents, yielding to the impending exhaustion; but she can't seem to rid herself of the lace tablecloth, the red silk, the scent of burning flesh-

She feels Korra, nuzzling her affectionately, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck.

Yes, she commands herself, letting her eyes slip closed._ I can._


End file.
